22 October 2021 Devonport Flagstaff by Devonport Flagstaff

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Old-schOOl extra-mile service and tip-tOp results, time after time Helen Michell 021 210 3228

a lt O G e t h e r B e t t e r

October 22, 2021

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Local projects part of big-build trend... p4

Auckland Transport’s Lake Rd blueprint... p14-15

Bayswater watchdogs mull marina-land plan... p16-17

Moves to scrap heritage protection for sites across Devonport – and allow three-storey housing in the suburb – have been rammed through by the government. Devonport’s world-renowned collection of Victorian and Edwardian houses has been protected under a special-character overlay and

a single-house zone, effectively limiting development south of the Waitemata Golf course. But the government, which has directed city councils around the country to increase housing density, is understood to be unhappy with Auckland Council plans to protect homes in the special-character area.

The single-house zone in Devonport is to be dumped by government directive and a medium density zone introduced across the city. Housing will be allowed to be 11m high (currently 8 m in Devonport), with a building site coverage of up to 50%. To page 2

Govt swings wrecking ball on Devonport heritage

Studio veteran finds niche at the Depot

Sound advice... Having worked with top musicians in New Zealand and the US, sound engineer Neil Baldock is these days sharing his skills at Depot Sound in Devonport. Interview, pages 26-27.

The Devonport Team would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest members, Team Swan. Matt Swan & Penny Swan M 021 129 3315 teamswan@harcourts.co.nz

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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 2

October 22, 2021

Covid vaccination rates high in Devonport

Cheltenham tops the vaccination charts for the Devonport peninsula, which has relatively high rates across all its suburbs. About seven weeks after vaccines were made available for all adults, 73.9 per cent of the eligible Cheltenham population is double-dosed, with 92.2 per cent having had at least one jab. The Ministry of Health started releasing data this month revealing vaccination rates per 1000 people in the eligible population. The lowest peninsula numbers were in Belmont, with 66.3 per cent having had two doses and 90.7 per cent at least one as of Thursday last week. Across all the peninsula suburbs, at least 90 per cent of those eligible had had at least one vaccine. In central Takapuna, 87.3 per cent had received at least one vaccine. From page 1

Meanwhile, an exposure event at North Shore Hospital’s dialysis unit was followed by two patients and two staff members testing positive to Covid-19. A number of staff in the unit are considered close contacts and have been stood down as a precaution. Staff are undergoing rapid antigen testing before the start of each shift, with all results last week negative. All patients are being screened on arrival. Several Devonport spots were listed as Covid-19 locations of interest recently, including Devonport New World twice, Devonport Pharmacy, Curry of India and Daily Bread in Belmont. Several Takapuna eateries, Countdown Milford, New World Milford and BP on Taharoto Rd and Unichem Sunnynook were also listed. Times and health advice are on the Ministry of Health website.

Vax rates by suburb

Devonport eligible population: 3136 First dose: 91.4%; second dose: 61.8% Cheltenham eligible population: 1854 First dose: 92.2%; second dose: 73.9%

Narrow Neck eligible population: 3731 First dose: 91.8%; second dose: 70.8% Stanley Point eligible population: 1570 First dose: 94.3%; second dose 73% Bayswater eligible population: 2400 First dose: 91%; second dose: 68.5% Belmont eligible population: 2461 First dose 90.7%; second dose: 66.3%

Hauraki eligible population: 3610 First dose: 91.4%; second dose: 68.1%

Govt moving against heritage protections

“New building intensification rules will mean up to three homes of up to three storeys can built on most sites without the need for a resource consent”, the government said in an announcement on Tuesday. A heritage overlay will remain for many Devonport homes, but protection is now substantially weakened. The low-rise ambience of Devonport is opened up to development. Auckland Council has already spent around $500,000 on a survey of all heritage homes in special-character areas in a bid to provide evidence they need protecting. But it seems this strategy has done nothing to mollify the government’s push for intensification. The Flagstaff learned of the government plans late last week. After attempts to obtain government comment a memo was sent out on Tuesday morning that a joint press conference announcement by Megan Woods, Minister of Housing, and David Parker, Minister for the Environment, would be made at midday. The

National Party is backing the measures. Heritage is a mitigating factor where development can be limited. But the government said it does “not necessarily prohibit development.” Councils can “reduce the amount of development allowed so the feature is managed appropriately.” North Shore Councillor Chris Darby, who is also head of Auckland Council’s planning committee, said the government announcement threatened all of Auckland’s special character areas, including Devonport. “It’s a desktop exercise in a vacuum in Wellington…they have made significant amendments to the unitary plan and planning rules in Auckland without the expertise to do so,” he said. Auckland Council had become aware that the government “was working something up”, Darby said, but had been rebuffed when asked to be included. “Its disappointing when you have been sitting around the table with Ministers and officers taking part in working through the

issues and then one party does it in isolation.” Darby said on a national scale the development fast tracking would not add that many more homes. Auckland was processing record consents at the moment. The wider problem was funding the infrastructure and public transport to support the growth, he said. Initially it was believed the changes were to be made by “edict” Darby said. But now Council at least had a few weeks to provide feedback. Devonport Heritage chair Margot McRae described the announcement as travesty for heritage - not only in Devonport, but Auckland as a whole. Heritage protections in Devonport had been fought for over decades and now the government was moving against them. “Auckland Council has to stand up to the government and say no, no, no.” “This is our city and the councillors have been elected to protect our city,” McRae said. “We live in a democracy and people should be able to have a say.”

Simon Watts MP for North Shore National Party Spokesperson for ACC, Associate Health & Associate Revenue

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October 22, 2021

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 3

Georgia’s letter gets beary nice reply from Dr Ashley

Eight-year-old Georgia Roberts has come up with some timely advice for the Director-General of Health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, during a lockdown school project. The Devonport Primary School pupil shared her ideas on how to encourage vaccination, saying: “I think everyone who goes to get a Covid vaccination should get a Covid-19 teddy as a reward for being so brave. The Covid-19 teddy will also make them feel better afterwards.” School principal Beverley Booth said Georgia thought up the idea when she and her Year 3 classmates were given an assignment to do at home when learning to write persuasive speeches. Georgia chose to make hers on persuading people to get vaccinated. She wrote out her speech and illustrated it with a brown bear wearing a yellow and white T-shirt, the main colours of government Covid-19 advertising. The bear’s name: Jabby. Georgia explained this was because “sometimes people call getting a vaccination getting jabbed”. Jabby would also wear a mask, she said. “It will do a backflip when you get your first Covid vaccination and two back flips when you get the second.” The bear’s T-shirt would say on the front “I am vaccinated,” with Jabby’s name on the back. “When you push its tummy it will say “You are amazing!” To ensure her bright ideas got all the way to the top, Georgia enlisted her mother, Toni, to forward a copy of her speech to Dr Bloomfield, the man managing New Zealand’s Covid-19 health response. Her eye for detail must have impressed ahead of the country’s Vaxathon – she got an email in reply. “She was delighted to receive a personal reply,” said her principal. In the message, passed on from her mother, Dr Bloomfield wrote: “Thanks very much for sending this through, Roll up your sleeves… Devonport schoolgirl Georgia Roberts holds and please pass on my thanks and a big smile to up her “Jabby” bear drawing, part of a plan to persuade people to Georgia – well done!” Nga mihi, Ashley get vaccinated that she sent to the country’s top health official

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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 4

October 22, 2021

Major local projects part of big-build trend

Housing development is still accelerating in Auckland, with record numbers of planning consents being lodged during lockdown – and the Devonport peninsula among areas generating more large-scale suburban proposals, particularly around Belmont and Hauraki. “We’re at record consent numbers. We’ve never seen anything like this in the history of the city,” North Shore councillor and Planning Committee chairman Chris Darby told the Flagstaff. The peninsula has generally not figured highly in consent numbers, whereas the northern suburbs of the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board area, from Takapuna up to Sunnynook, have been intensifying faster. But Darby said activity on the peninsula had picked up in recent months, especially around Belmont. Consent applications in the whole board area for the six months to the end of August are up 25 per cent compared with the same period the year before. Over 12 months, the increase was 18 per cent. (City-wide lodgements over six and 12 months were up slightly less, at 22 per

cent and 14 per cent respectively, but from a higher base.) The Auckland Monthly Housing Update shows that attached multi-unit dwellings make up the vast bulk of planning consent applications across the city. A council spokesman added that for developments with five or more dwellings there had been a 53 per cent increase to 7705 dwellings over successive 12-month periods. In total, 22,700 consents were lodged in Auckland and 21,800 issued. They had a total value of $11.6 billion, up 25 per cent. In the year to June. Auckland Council processed 43 per cent of the country’s approved new dwelling consents to the year to the end of June. Demand from developers for larger sections is adding fuel to the real-estate pricing fire. Darby said the private sector was responding to the need for more housing. Of applications that won consent from city planners, 90 per cent were signed off as completed homes within two years, he said. The council’s monthly update does not

break down figures by individual suburbs, but board area applications for consents in the weeks since lockdown began on 17 August are tracking at similar weekly rates as pre-lockdown. Typically, a dozen or so applications are lodged each week, with most to build additional homes on what have often been single-home properties. In late September this included a 32-dwelling development in Milford, on three combined back sites, two off East Coast Rd and one off Stanley Ave. It comprises 30 terrace-style attached homes and two standalone properties. One example of large-scale development was proposed for a site opposite Takapuna Grammar School last year. Neighbours were concerned about a shared driveway, safety and space issues. Council planners sent the proposal back to the applicants for more work to meet Unitary Plan requirements. One of the sections involved has since been offered for sale. The Milford application is yet to be scrutinised but is on a bigger land area.

What’s going up – or on the drawing board

• The Bayswater marina apartment development is the largest application in the pipeline on the peninsula (see story, page 16). • Construction is well advanced at the Kainga Ora site on the corner of Lake Rd and Bardia St corner, where 48 dwellings will replace the previous 12 state houses. • On Williamson Ave, several multi-storey private developments are being completed. • Building on Ngati Whatua’s Oneoneroa subdivision off Eversleigh St also resumed under Level 3 regulations. The iwi also owns land in Roberts Rd, where some houses have been cleared. • In Hauraki, on upper Hart Rd, two private residential sites were recently cleared and building on other sites in Northboro Rd is under way. Foundations have been laid for a seven-dwelling terrace at 258 Lake Rd. Auckland Council’s city update says in the year to August, it issued 19,928 consents to build and 14,178 completed homes had a code compliance certificate issued. In the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board area, 412 consents were issued over the last six months, with 697 consents in 12 months, up 5 per cent on the previous year. Of the wider city’s August consents, 65 per cent were for townhouses, flats, units, retirement village or other attached dwellings; 29 per cent were for houses and 6 per cent for apartments. New residential parcels of land, under 5000m2 were, created under 907 consents in August. The total for the year was 8709. Public housing stock was also boosted, making up 175 of the total dwellings consented in August.

A quarter of the city’s new housing development consented in August fell within the 1500m walking catchments of the rapid transport network, the housing update shows. This zone applies to Takapuna, where a number of apartment and terrace housing developments have been consented over the last few years. New sites on Auburn St have recently been cleared. The walking catchment definition allows greater intensification and will come further into play as the council responds to the government’s National Policy Statement on Urban Development to encourage building. Darby said attempting to hold the line on design provisions while it works through responding to the government directive would be a challenge. “The government is interested in quantities, Aucklanders too, but they [residents] will not like it if they just get quantity outcomes and not quality outcomes that will last forever.”

New neighbours... Development on Williamson Ave makes it one of many streets with a rapidly changing outlook

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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 5

October 22, 2021

Local garage stays in mechanically minded family

Handing over... Andre, Wendy and Hayden Cumiskey at Devonport Auto Centre, the business Andre has worked in for 31 years, owned for over two decades and just sold to Hayden Covid lockdown has proved the ultimate spanner in the works for long-time Devonport mechanic Andre Cumiskey. He was phasing himself out of the Devonport Auto Centre, where he had worked for 31 years, before selling the business to son Hayden in the middle of 2021. Now living on a Mangawhai lifestyle block, Andre was travelling to Devonport a couple of days a week to help out, while Hayden was searching for a new mechanic. “I think it’s the end… Hayden will find a new staff member before the borders open up,” said Andre. Starting at Devonport Auto Centre in 1989,

he bought the business 10 years later. It became a real family affair, with wife Wendy working in admin. Hayden started work as a cleaner after school, later training as a mechanic and joining the firm full-time nine years ago, aged 21. The business has grown over the years from essentially just Andre and Wendy to four mechanics and two part-time office staff. It averages 15 cars a day through the shop for repairs, services and warrants. It has had more than 85,000 vehicles through the door over the last 22 years, and is busier than ever. “Vic (Martin of Tainui Motors) asked if I was happy for him to recommend me to his customers when Tainui closed, so it has got

Credit gets tighter Recent data suggests credit conditions are tightening to record levels of difficulty - this is especially true for small and medium sized business who can only really borrow if they have some sort of property as security - cashflow lending is almost a thing of the past unless there is a strong history and contracts to rely on - it’s a case of banks directing their capital to the mortgage market along with a diminishing level of experience in the business lending space. We are also seeing this for borrowers who rely on their own business income to service a loan as they are finding it more and more difficult to get approvals especially with recent covid disruptions - but if you are a PAYE earner with a good credit and account conduct history it is much easier to get a mortgage – once again the entrepreneurs and small business are suffering compared to the civil servants of this world – speak to us if you need help. Watch out for further mortgage interest rate rises as the RBNZ looks to keep raising the OCR over the next year or so!

busier and busier,” said Andre. He became known for giving work experience to youths from tough backgrounds. “One of these kids turned up and I asked him where he got his overalls from. He said he stole them from his last job. I told him that’s not exactly the right thing to say to your new boss!” Wendy is now working as a dog groomer and the couple are developing a doggy daycare centre. “I’ll keep coming back to Devonport to visit and I stilll enjoy doing mechanical work,” said Andre. “But it’s been good to have a change as well. I’ve been doing a lot of fencing and tree planting and I may end up running the doggy daycare.”

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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 6

By Rob Drent

I’ve been a reporter for 38 years, but a call from the public can still elicit surprises. Not all of them good. Last week an anti-vaxxer rang concerned with my stance over a tradesman visiting a local home unvaccinated, and upset at my refusal to print any anti-vaccination material in our letters columns. Before I hung up, he described me as scum. I’ve been called a lot of things in nearly four decades of journalism but this was a first. Shortly afterwards, the government released figures showing vaccination rates in Devonport. More than 90 per cent had received at least one dose. It was in line with what should be recorded in a high-decile, educated and engaged community. However, it got me thinking what a high-vaccination community should expect of others. Double-vaxed tradesmen visiting homes is one, and the same goes for anyone working in a public-facing job: retailers, librarians, salespeople, teachers – the list goes on. I would imagine parents will be concerned

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The Flagstaff Notes about sending high-school kids to classes where other students remain unvaccinated. My “scum” caller claimed my last column effectively denied people the right to choose, and encouraged readers to discriminate in the workplace. The reality is the government and employers’ line is hardening into “no jab, no job” to protect both other workers and the public from the spread of Covid. Last week, front-line health workers, teachers and early childhood education staff were added to the list of occupations where vaccinations are mandated. In answer to the freedom-of-choice argument: what about those businesses and jobs put at risk by almost three months of lockdown? What choice have those people had? With the Delta variant of Covid appearing to be spreading in the community for the foreseeable future, part of returning to a semblance of normal life is a feeling of greater safety. People should be able to enter a shop, cafe or store knowing they will be served by vaccinated staff. This week the Flagstaff is launching a JABBED campaign. We will design and print cards for proprietors to place in their windows, with a clear message: “JABBED – Shop with confidence, all staff serving on this premises are double vaccinated”. Support the businesses displaying this sign – to help make our community safer. The timing of the government’s release of suburb by suburb data needs to be questioned. We have been asking for more specific data for the Devonport area for months but none has been forthcoming. Either the government had the data and did not want to supply it or it has been late to the party in gathering the information in a form that could be released. Either way, the public has not been informed in a timely manner. Likewise the release of places of interest, where Covid-positive people have visited. Devonport New World was listed twice last week, but with no other information except for times. Surely the government has information on whether the Covid-positive person was a shopper, worker

October 22, 2021 at the store, delivery person or cleaner? More information means, more awareness, less fear and assumption, Overseas – in France for example – Covid tracer apps are way more sophisticated and offer two-way information, such as how many positive Covid cases have been recorded in your suburb. Moving to Devonport in 1993, I was working on a Sunday paper so spent many a rostered Monday off wheeling my one-yearold son Anthony around Devonport streets. It was spring, and while I enjoyed people’s handiwork in their gardens, and the wisteria and bougainvillea that seemed more fashionable back then, Anthony was always keen on seeing the neighbourhood cats and dogs. Pensioners always liked to stop and have a chat, glad to see the youngster out and about in the pram. Three decades on, my lockdown walks are a reminder of how many front yards have been taken up with garages or parking, with simple fences and a gates replaced by walls and security-pad entrances. Police tell us Devonport has one of the lowest crime rates in the country. What are people so scared of? Mask-wearing and social distancing has also meant a decline in the likelihood of a friendly encounter in the street. I hope those kinds of contacts will soon return. Bayswater Marina Ltd’s notified application to develop its reclamation into apartments and townhouses needs close scrutiny. A residential component on the land has been talked about for more than 25 years, and while the number of dwellings on the 3.7ha site has reduced over the decades, the rub is still the same. Is the size and bulk too large for the location? And how are the public transport options, green spaces, and access to the coastline best protected? Over recent years, the Auckland sands have shifted markedly in favour of developers providing housing intensification. How the Auckland Council officers and independent commissioners view the application in regard to the Bayswater Marine Precinct Zonings and wider coastal protections will be instructive.

Sean Wainui gone too soon

Sean Wainui, the best rugby player to emerge from Takapuna Grammar in recent seasons, died in a car accident at Omanawa near Tauranga on Monday morning. Wainui (25) left Auckland after school and played 53 super rugby matches – 44 for the Chiefs and nine for the Crusaders – mainly as a centre, but sometimes on the wing. He also represented New Zealand Maori since 2015 and played 53 games for Taranaki before shifting to Bay of Plenty this year. Wainui played for the TGS first XV in 2011, 2012 and 2013, making the North Top player… Sean Wainui leads Harbour Colts side while still at school. the haka while at TGS

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 7

October 22, 2021

On the tools: learning gets hands-on

Briefs

Call-out false alarm

Multiple police cars seen at Stanley Bay on 6 October were responding to reports of a serious assault, a police media spokesperson said. The assault was said to have occurred at Stanley Bay Wharf. Area enquiries and CCTV enquiries were made by police. “However, there was no evidence to suggest any offence had taken place. Those parties involved were spoken to and no further action was required by police,” the spokesperson said.

Library event shelved

Devonport Library Associates has cancelled its November event. “We’ll hope that the New Year brings the opportunity to resume our event schedule,” a spokesperson said.

Nailing it... Scarlett Riddington (7) getting stuck in with her dad’s power tools, helping to build planter boxes as part of a school project Vauxhall School pupil Scarlett Riddington is making the most of learning at home, recently turning a school project into a family DIY day. Seven-year-old Scarlett, sister Mia, aged 11, and dad Brad worked together to produce some smart planter boxes. Syndicate lead teacher Claire Taylor said the innovative idea came out of a study focus on native birds for the school’s Year 3 Kowhai group on native birds. Instead of building a birdhouse as other tamariki were doing, she said, Scarlett had decided on planters. These are as an added

way of attracting garden visitors. It was a hands-on effort for Scarlett, who proudly sent pictures of her work back to the school. Luckily her father, who runs Riddington Builders, had all the right tools at hand. Describing her work on the class website, Scarlett said: “On Saturday Mia and I built planter boxes with Dad. We used the nail gun and electric drill to put the boxes together and then painted them black. “We are going to plant tomatoes and lettuce in them, as well as some pansy flower plants.”

Covid hits classic

The Round North Head Classic swim event, usually held in December, has been postponed until 30 April 2022 due to the uncertainty posed by Covid-19 lockdowns. The start of summer fun Jets runs in Devonport have also been delayed.

Cycle death charge

A 34-year-old man charged in relation to a Lake Rd collision in which cyclist Warrick Jones was killed in March is due to appear in court next month. Jones, a married father of three and keen triathlete, was killed in a collision with a truck at the corner of Montgomery Ave on 9 March.

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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 8

October 22, 2021

From Kit Kats to Kiwi Kids and making dreams come true

Linda Simmons honed her marketing skills over 20 years in the corporate world, selling some of the world’s most popular chocolate bars globally. For the past seven years she’s used that experience to sell real estate. Among the top five per cent of Bayleys’ agents in the country and national winner of REINZ’s 2021 Best Multi-Media Marketing Campaign of the Year, she says it’s not only her marketing know-how that has helped her achieve such strong results for her clients, she also has a secret offering! That’s not a Kiwi accent — where are you from originally? My parents were from the UK but didn’t want to live there so they travelled the world. I was born in Jamaica and lived there until I was 10, when we moved to Ireland. Three years later we went to England so my sister, Jacquie, and I could go to high school there. We were always very close as sisters and came to New Zealand on our OE in the late 1980s, fell in love with the country and both vowed we would live here one day. Jacquie met her husband then and moved here quite quickly; it took me a bit longer to get back. How did you manage that? I went back to England and started my marketing career working for a confectionary firm, Rowntree Mackintosh. I was the brand manager for Kit Kat. I applied for the job because I love chocolate and I wanted to work on something I had a real passion for. Nestle bought us, and because they were a global company, the next day I was in my boss’s office asking for a transfer to New Zealand. I was here for three years and met my husband Mark, who came with me when they moved me on to Australia for four years, then to Nestle’s global head office in Switzerland for seven years. In my last years with Nestle I led an internal consultancy team that helped local Nestle teams in different countries market our products. That meant a lot of travelling. It was fun and an incredible lifestyle, but once we had our daughters Annabella and Clara, it became too hard. We decided that once the kids were ready to start school, we’d come back to

New Zealand to bring them up as Kiwi kids in Devonport, where we had a home. Did you get straight into real estate? No, I first set up my own boutique business consultancy, with the goal of helping Kiwi companies to go global. The company I mostly worked with was a2 Milk. They were a tiny company then, and completely unknown. That work started to get really busy and after about three years I wanted to pull back and spend time with my family. So, I had a stint as a full-time mum, which I absolutely loved, and put my heart and soul into fundraising for Stanley Bay School while my kids were there. I just adored that school, and still do, which is why I am drawn to sponsor it even though my kids have long ago left and are in fact now at university! During this time, I kept bumping into an ex-colleague from my Nestle days, who had gone into real estate. She said, “Come and join me, you will absolutely love it.” I thought it would be a great way to work in my neighbourhood. Jacquie, my sister, decided to join me right at the start, so we could work together and that way, see more of each other! What was different about your approach to real estate? There were already a lot of really good agents in my area so I felt it was important to offer a point of difference. I wanted to offer an added-value proposition, which I do with the way I market properties. To me, it’s not so much about selling houses. People don’t buy houses, they buy lifestyle and experiences and what’s best for them and their family. It’s

not just a financial journey, it is a very emotional one. How do you do that? I use my marketing skills to get to the heart of what each home is about, so I treat each one as a brand and I use video in a special way to tell its story. Where possible, I interview the owners on video and let them talk about their home because they know it way better than I ever can. It’s authentic and emotional. I call it “tugging on heart strings”. Also, I won’t put a house on the market unless it is presented the best it can be. I do that thanks to my secret offering — my sister. What difference does Jacquie make? Through Jacquie, I offer a complete ‘get ready for market’ service. From the moment the vendors come to us, she is there making a list of what needs to be done, and she helps them to do it. She’s like a house fairy. We have contractors we use who will fit us into their schedule no matter how busy they are, including interior designers Places and Graces, who help with styling homes roomby-room. Jacquie also helps buyers, often driving them all over Devonport, so that they really get to understand the area. What Jacquie loves more than anything is helping people, and she often saves the day. We work as a team, me and Jacquie with our vendors, and also the people we bring in to help. We also have a fantastic PA, Emma, and wonderful support from the wider Bayleys team, and of course our families. What do you love about real estate? What we love the most is helping to make people’s dreams come true. When you sell someone’s home and see both them and the new owners jumping up and down with excitement, that is truly the most magical feeling.

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 9

October 22, 2021

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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 10

October 22, 2021

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October 22, 2021

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 11

Narrow Neck 9 Merani Street

Narrow Neck golden opportunity

Just what you have been waiting for - location and opportunity on a fabulous Narrow Neck street. This large family home has been tightly held by the same family for nearly 40 years. Packed with memories and interesting spaces, including 2 staircases, 4 bedrooms, and opportunity galore. This is a home that is calling out for an astute new owner to love it for the next 40 years. A generous freehold site offering many options for landscaping, a pool and pool house and ripe for some creative flair.

Auction (unless sold prior) 1.30pm, Thu 4 Nov 2021 28 Northcroft Street, Takapuna View by appointment Victoria Mules 021 679 349 Jemma Glancy 021 246 5300

Phone today to book a viewing.

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BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE LTD, DEVONPORT, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 12

Covid in the Community

October 22, 2021

Schools say teacher vaccination rates looking good When Devonport peninsula students finally return to school, most local principals say they will be taught by vaccinated teachers. At Devonport Primary, all teachers have had their first Covid-19 vaccine and nearly all their second. Principal Beverley Booth said: “Everyone on the staff proactively sought out vaccination as soon as they were eligible.” Belmont Primary says all its 44 staff were well on the way to being fully vaccinated before the government mandated it. Principal Bruce Cunningham said teacher leadership getting vaccinated sent a strong message to the community. “Your child will be as safe as they can be so there is no reason not to send them to school.” Vauxhall School principal Gary Lawrence said staff were on track to full vaccination. “We support and understand the need to do our bit to create a safe community.” Stanley Bay Primary principal Lucy Naylor told parents in a letter that all of its permanent and part-time staff had received one vaccination and, as of two weeks ago, 80 per cent had already had their second. Some schools won’t get into specifics or say they are still collating numbers – with teachers having been on term break until online learning resumed this week – but they have been given until 1 January to comply with the government’s directive of employing only fully

vaccinated teachers and other support staff. Hauraki School principal Clarinda Franklin said she did not see this being a problem. “There’s enough time, and I am pretty sure that most of our staff will embrace getting vaccinated. I understand that they are in the process of doing so.” Takapuna Grammar School (TGS) principal Mary Nixon said while she was unable to share vaccination data – as it had been given to her in confidence – “I am able to say that the TGS staff will be very resilient in the Covid environment.” Next year, Nixon will face the task of also finding out if TGS’s around 1500 students are vaccinated. This is in line with a directive to schools. It applies to students aged 12 and over, who are eligible for the Covid vaccination, which is not yet approved for younger ages. Belmont Intermediate principal Nick Hill said last week that he was still collating staff information so could not yet comment. Hauraki’s Franklin said the Ministry of Education had told schools they were required to keep a register about staff vaccination rates, but they were awaiting further details on what this and other aspects of schooling would look like. A number of principals said that while they were disappointed that Term 4 had not been able to start back in class, it was an understandable decision, if last-minute. They had been grap-

pling with how to set up for a safe return, including looking at shorter and staggered breaks and start and finish times, along with keeping children in small groups. Advice on improved ventilation was another area to adapt to. Booth said a few Devonport Primary parents had contacted her with concerns about a return to school, before this was scuppered. “So there was a sense of relief that this has been postponed,” she said. Franklin said parents were supportive of the online learning provided, but it was tough on some. “There are a few who have struggled, mainly those who are both trying to work from home whilst supervising children doing school work. This is particularly challenging when family members have to share devices.” Cunningham said a return to class would involve a lot of compliance to ensure all contractors, educational agencies, volunteers, and tutors were fully vaccinated, and have had a recent surveillance test, showing a negative result. “It will also involve a lot of laughter, connection and happiness.” Pupils wanted to reconnect with their friends and parents wanted to reopen their businesses or be back at work full time, he said. • TGS adapts to exam uncertainty; Early childhood education centres on resuming operation, page 43.

Narrow Neck 109 Vauxhall Road

Cheltenham beauty

This 5-bedroom family home is the one you have been waiting for. Situated across the road from one of the best beaches on the North Shore, simply grab the paddle board and within minutes you will be enjoying this beautiful beach setting. The stylish interior is on-trend, beachside chic beautifully balanced with a homely and welcoming feel. This well-maintained character Bungalow has everything to help make life easy; outdoor shower, plenty of storage, a sunny private backyard, central heating plus the spa pool is included. There is also a carpeted double garage with covered access to the house. Be prepared to fall in love with this very special home.

Auction (unless sold prior) 1.30pm, Thu 4 Nov 2021 28 Northcroft Street, Takapuna View by appointment Victoria Mules 021 679 349 Jemma Glancy 021 246 5300

bayleys.co.nz/1470483

BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE LTD, DEVONPORT, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

October 22, 2021

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 13

Narrow Neck 29a Merani Street

Designer home in Narrow Neck

Throw any renovation plans to the wind and step straight into this brand new, beautifully designed masterpiece in one of the best suburbs on the North Shore. Architecturally designed by Jones Architects and skillfully built by Riddington Builders this is a home which you will instantly fall in love with and cherish forever. All the thought and detail in this home is apparent from the minute you walk through the front door. Well thought out design allows for separation of spaces, as well as light and bright open plan family areas, just perfect for weekend entertaining. With internal access garaging, views of Rangitoto from upstairs, excellent built in storage throughout the home, an outdoor shower and low maintenance landscaped gardens this home ticks all the boxes.

Auction (unless sold prior) 1.30pm, Thu 28 Oct 2021 28 Northcroft Street, Takapuna View by appointment Victoria Mules 021 679 349 Jemma Glancy 021 246 5300

BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE LTD, DEVONPORT, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

bayleys.co.nz/1470479

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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 14

October 22, 2021

AT’s $48-million message on Lake Rd: Forget a dream run, embrace new reality

Latest designs to manage Lake Rd traffic promise improved safety and flow, but congestion won’t ease significantly unless more peninsula residents embrace “mode shift”. Auckland Transport (AT) was adamant it cannot magic away vehicle congestion with its resumed $48 million upgrade project, but says road design that encourages more people to use public transport or car pool, and to cycle and walk, will make a dent in commuter travel times. If short car journeys reduced, it meant “those who needed to drive would have a better journey,” said AT’s manager of strategic projects, Daniel Newcombe. One to two years’ more work was expected on detailed design, and getting consents and engaging contractors. “So you won’t see anything on the ground for a year or more, unless there’s some simple things we can do,” Newcombe told the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board at a briefing on the controversial Lake Rd project this month. One early project could be a cycleway along Bayswater Ave, which has been confirmed to be part of the wider project. If this could begin separately from Belmont intersection issues, Newcombe said “we should be able to do it early.” Design work is also set to proceed this year with Waka Kotahi (the New Zealand Transport Agency) on the project’s Esmonde Rd section to the motorway on-ramps. The entire Lake Rd project was put on hold due to Covid-19 and its budget impacts last year, after years of surveys and consultation resulted in little board agreement or community satisfaction with plans. But AT has been working on revised indicative designs and looking at timelines. After an advance of $2 million was secured from Auckland Council budgets after lobbying by North Shore councillors, AT said it could now begin finalising its Lake Rd designs, including those for choke points at Hauraki corner, the Bardia St/Winscombe St intersection, and Belmont centre. Board reaction to the plans was mostly

DB pro

Blueprint... A design overview, showing upgraded cycle lanes (green), a T2 lane (red) and main intersection improvements (circles). The cycle lane north from Devonport would loop to avoid the roundabout. positive – after months of calling for an update – with members welcoming the detailed overview. However, chair Ruth Jackson wants another meeting with AT to answer further questions. Newcombe gave a clear message to board members that extended wishful tinkering was highly unlikely to satisfy all parties. “This isn’t AT trying to be difficult in any way.” Unless the board could find some other money, the budget and objectives were fixed. Within these caveats, however, improvements could happen. “It’s not just a congestion project,” Newcombe said. Safety was an important driver of the work. More than a third of serious crashes on the road involved pedestrians and cyclists, he said. Half of journeys were local ones.

Cycleways throughout the route would be given protective kerbs (as pictured, page 15). At Lake Rd’s Devonport end, it was planned to divert northbound cyclists through side streets to reduce risk near the roundabout. Raised crossings were also flagged where key side streets ran into Lake Rd, to improve pedestrian safety and slow traffic before it merged into the main carriageway. Such measures might also help deter rat runners trying to avoid the signalled intersections, he said. Newcombe said budget and space limitations meant continuous T2 lanes could not be accommodated within the existing Lake Rd carriageway. The case or appetite for land acquisition also did not stack up, he reminded members. But a T2 lane would be fitted heading

What Devonport-Takapuna Local Board members thought

Jan O’Connor: “Footpaths have to be wide, we’re giving space to cyclists and pedestrians are missing out.”

Trish Deans: “I want to push for as much as we can and have the public understand we have pushed it as far as we can.”

Aidan Bennett: “We’re not going to be able to tick all the boxes, but it ticks a lot of the boxes.”

October 22, 2021

Key changes

• AT expects people on buses and in vehicles on T2 lanes will cut 20 per cent from their travel time. • Bus patronage is forecast to rise 10 per cent once Lake Rd is more streamlined. • Success will rely on travel behaviour change – to chosen mode, time and routes. • AT is talking to Navy about the impact of personnel movements. • Upgrades to Lake Rd cycle lanes will use curbs to separate riders from cars. • Bayswater to get cycle lane from end to end, separate from footpath. • Traffic light timing on signalled intersections to be reassessed to optimise flow, after corner design work is done. • Raised crossings at non-signalled side streets, to slow exiting traffic. Benefits to cycle safety on Lake Rd and to pedestrian visibility on surface flush with footpath. • Feedback from the local board last year led to some design adjustments. • Budget and project objectives curtail the extent of further design tweaks. Waka Kotahi funds dependent on objectives.

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 15

Belmont shops

Pinch points get extra attention

BELMONT

Turning points... AT’s proposals for Belmont include removing the left-hand-turn lane from Bayswater Ave and it may add a double-lane 28 right-hand turn out of Williamson Ave without enough space and time to merge to Big changes are in store at Belmont, aimed at one lane. easing this choke-point intersection and improving pedestrian safety. AT wants to do this • Extending the merge would mean losing roadside parks in front of the Lake Rd shops in conjunction with Auckland Council’s pendnearest the intersection, although this might ing Belmont centre upgrade, given the work be limited to morning peak hours. could overlap, especially on the seaward side, where public parking, bus stops, access to the • Earlier ideas of a short T2 lane running up from Roberts Rd through the intersection Rose Centre and Belmont Primary all need “may not be worth the “dis-benefit” to other accommodating. Buses may use an indented traffic, AT says. More design work would stop on Lake Rd, rather than entering the car be done on maximising the thoroughfare park area and exiting at Williamson Ave. by McDonald’s, but cars opposite, turning • Two peak-hour turning lanes out of Wiland heading south, compress the space to liamson Ave are being considered to limit work with in this section. signal-time stoppage on Lake Rd. • A longer merge north on Lake Rd is pos- • New cycle lanes may come early along Bayswater Ave (and be separate from the sible, to help counter the gridlock of cars footpaths) to later link to Lake Rd lanes. getting caught on the intersection or crossing

north only on Lake Rd for buses and vehicles with two or more passengers. This would start from just past Eversleigh Rd through Hauraki corner up to Esmonde Rd. T2 lanes encourage shifts in the way people get around, he said. For example, car-pooling on Onewa Rd delivered better commute times for users. While shorter HAURAKI stretches of T2 had been considered for elsewhere on Lake Rd, it was thought these would cause merge difficulties, counteracting benefits. But road realignments and measures such as better traffic light-signal phasing and merging pathways for vehicles would help flow and reduce journey times, he said. Work along Lake Rd would be staged, Upgraded... the planned Hauraki Corner layout includes a northbound which would limit disruption, he said. It T2 lane and a raised table at the Hart Rd exit to Lake Rd (above, left) should take around a year once underway. considering these dangerous to pedestrians and Changes proposed at Hauraki include: Electronic technology would be intro- • A northbound T2 lane through the corner, cyclists. Two lanes exiting Hauraki Rd at the duced to help signal journey times, better starting south of Eversleigh St and running lights will be explored to shorten wait times. informing people what lay ahead so they to Esmonde Rd. Reinvestigation found Kerb works may allow the southbound mergcould make their own best traffic choices. insufficient room for a southbound T2 lane ing lane to be extended further down Lake Rd. from Hauraki Corner, without substantial • Cyclists wishing to turn right at the lights from road widening. AT said additional laning ran Lake Rd into Jutland Rd would divert to a the risk of generating traffic congestion that new holding zone at the top of Hauraki Rd would outweigh benefits, with buses caught to wait for lights to change in front of traffic exiting that street. This is a new AT approach in congestion. • Corner realignments will remove the short to cycle safety. (Board members noted it might left-turning slip lane into Hauraki Rd, with AT stop cyclists making risky right-hand turns.)

Hauraki corner

OTHER CORNERS

• Exits from Eversleigh and St Leonards Rds onto Lake Rd have long prompted calls from

Bike-friendly... Lake Rd cycleways will have protective kerbs to separate them from motorised traffic lanes

residents, Takapuna Grammar School and the local board to remedy turning issues and pedestrian congestion near bus stops. AT says it reassessed options but considered traffic lights at the off-set intersection would likely be inefficient and add to Lake Rd delays. • At the tail-back plagued Bardia-Winscombe intersection space is too tight for two lanes exiting each of the side streets, says AT, and there is no budget to buy properties to allow it. • Where Old Lake Rd and Seabreeze Rd join Lake Rd and where the project ends at the Albert Rd roundabout yet to be detailed corner enhancements will take place.

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 16

October 22, 2021

Bayswater proposal open for submissions Briefs

Open space, marine use to fore in precinct plan

The Bayswater Marina precinct is classified in Auckland’s Unitary Plan as a Coastal Marina Zone and Open Space – Informal Recreation Zone. The primary purpose of the precinct is to provide for marina, ferry terminal and marine-related activities, including associated parking and facilities, and for public access, community uses and marine sports, open space and recreation. “Provision is also made for residential activities and food and beverage, subject to these activities being accessed through a resourceconsents process to assess the effects of the prosposal on the use and the function of the precinct [outlined below].” The council plan says minimum standards are specified to qualify for discretionary-activity status – such as residential and food and beverage uses – so “the primary focus of the precinct is achieved”.

Lake Rd traffic set to rise as impact tallied

Peak hour traffic on Lake Rd will incr\ease by around 5 per cent as a result of the development, says a transport report submitted to the council by developers BML. “It will result in approximately 70-80 additional trips through the (Belmont) intersection, which forms a total of 4-5% of the total traffic passing the intersection during peak hours,” the report by BML’s consultants Stanec said. Modelling indicated only “minimal changes” to the Bayswater Ave/Lake Rd/Williamson Ave intersection, with a build-up of around three to four extra cars in the average queue. The 94 terraced houses and 27 apartment units proposed would generate 73 trips an hour during peak times, and around 730 trips per day. However, this may be reduced by good access to ferry and bus transport, the report said.

Construction movements

Earthworks at the site will take around 40 days, with 1800 cubic metres of dirt removed in 129 truck movements. Overall, the ground work construction is expected to take 150 days, with 1283 truck movements averaging nine per day, with a peak of 34 in a single day, according to BML’s application documents.

Figure 8: Site Plan

Plans reveal details of proposed multi-storey development on marina land

Handy for boaties... The proposed development includes townhouses and apartments overlooking Bayswater Marina Around 350 residents are expected to live in the Bayswater Maritime Precinct once complete. The multi million-dollar Bayswater Marina Ltd proposal seeks to develop reclaimed land alongside its marina, creating terraced housing and apartment buildings. The development would include: • 94 terraced houses, and 27 apartments in three buildings, across 33,415sqm of land next to Bayswater Marina. • One or two cafes and a restaurant. • Public open space of 7750sqm. • The removal of most of the pōhutukawa trees on the site, though many would be transplanted in the new development. Landscaping includes the planting of 128 trees. • 310 car parks for marina berth holders • An esplanade strip of at least 15m – although the strip will also operate as a “shared access way” and provide car parking areas for berth holders. • A pedestrian boardwalk of up to 3.5m around the edge of the site. • The retention of the ferry terminal on pontoons accessed off the marina land until at least 2031 when the berth licences expire. Bus access will continue.

The 17 groups of townhouses are expected to be up to four storeys high, but the bottom floor for parking is “sub-basement” – below ground to protect views. The townhouses can be individually designed but plans have to be submitted to a Bayswater Maritime Precinct Design Review panel to check they match its design manual guidelines. Around 457sqm has been set aside in one apartment building for commercial activities such as food and beverage, marine retail and offices. A minimum of 100sqm has been set aside for the marine retail and marine industry, although storage of boats will not be feasible. Earthworks and roading will be done first, prior to any housing construction. The housing development will be done in three stages: the first two apartment buildings and 24 terraced town houses are on the southern section of the site. The boat ramp will be retained and car and boat-trailer parking increased from 15 to 20 parks. The Bayswater Marina Ltd application notes that the proposal has been scaled back over the years to reflect resident concerns about its size and bulk and a desire for more public space.

What happens next?

The resource consent application to develop Bayswater Marina land opened for public feedback on 11 October Submissions close on 9 November. Independent commissioners will then be appointed.

Submissions and evidence from Auckland Council and Bayswater

Marina Ltd experts will be collated. Hearings are expected in late February 2022.

• To find the Bayswater Marina application documents, go to the Auckland Council website and look up notified consents. These can be easily downloaded.

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 17

October 22, 2021

Residents’ concerns focus on ensuring public space

Even this is muddy territory, says With Bayswater Marina Ltd’s appliParkinson. BML is planning a 3.5m cation to build 94 terraced houses and boardwalk as part of the strip. Not a 27 apartments on its reclaimed land bad idea in itself, but a large part of the now notified, the Flagstaff visited the boardwalk extends over a breakwater site with members of the Bayswater which effectively means less land has Community Committee to hear their to be given up by BML to the public. concerns. Some of the strip will also be used for Bulk, heights, public spaces and parking, she adds. access to the coastline have been the Other public facilities may be compropoints of contention in any plan to demised, such as boat and trailer parking, velop the reclaimed land at Bayswater. which the committee says will be much And so it remains today. more difficult to use in the new plan. The Bayswater Community ComStafford-Bush says the height of the mittee has been a public watchdog for buildings up to four storeys will become the land over close to three decades, a dominant feature of the landscape, including numerous court and Unitary viewed from the marina and the city. Plan hearings. She is also worried about potential wind As a Bayswater resident for 36 tunnels on the southwesterly site. years and former chair of the DevonThe committee also wants Auckland port Community Board, which saw Transport to be more transparent and early incarnations of the marina village assertive about what it wants for the concept and also approved plans for a public in the project, specifically around ferry terminal which has yet to be built, the ferry pontoons, bus access and member Paddy Stafford-Bush knows turning bays. the issue like the back of her hand It also seeks greater creativity from “We’re not nimbys – we appreciate council during the hearing process. For some residential component is needexample, a strip of land owned by BML ed — it’s how it fits with what is best which gives access to the boat ramp for the public that we are concerned could be swapped with council for some about,” she says. adjoining land. Moreover, with Auckland’s increasThe committee worries how much ing population and the need for more support council officers will give to not fewer public spaces, the proposed public spaces in assess the application. development has wider implications Overall, Stafford-Bush hopes BML for the Devonport peninsula and the owner Simon Herbert, a multimillioncity as a whole, Stafford-Bush says. aire, will increase the amount of public “It’s about getting a balance.” space in the development. In the project plan the balance is Gearing up… Bayswater Community Committee “He doesn’t need to wring every last weighted too heavily on the side of members (from left) Paddy Stafford-Bush, Jared Lettica and Brianna Parkinson says the marinacent out of the project – it’s a chance for residential development, she says. Co-member and lawyer Brianna project buildings could be as high as the pine behind him to leave a legacy to the public he can be proud of.” Parkinson adds that under its Unitary to keep the public space to a minimum. The Due to Covid-19 restrictions, a public meetPlan zoning as a Bayswater Marina precinct, boardwalk, for example, is included in the ing on the application is not possible. the provision of public space and allowing 7500sqm of public space. The committee is encouraging Devonport marine activity is the primary purpose of the Parkinson says the two parks in the project residents to read BML’s application carefully land. Residential is allowed but is not the are small and she wonders if the public will use and make submissions. It will post regular primary aim. them as they abut housing. “It would be like The devil is in the detail, says Parkinson. having a picnic on someone’s front lawn.” A updates online. A Givealittle page will also be launched The application itself has been named the complex aspect of the application will be how soon for donations in what is expected to be Bayswater Maritime Precinct, which shouldn’t the 15m minimum esplanade reserve enshrined an expensive legal process. muddy the true marina-activity purpose of the in the marina precinct will be interpreted • A residents survey has been launched to zoning, she says. alongside the 20m marginal strip required in gauge their views on the proposal. The committee claims the application aims coastal subdivisions.

A brief history of the marina’s development

The plan to develop the Bayswsater Land into a residential precinct has been in the pipeline for 25 years. In the 1980s, the Auckland Harbour Board invited proposals for a marina in the area. Martin Jones pushed through the 418-berth marina project, which was finished in 1997. However, his plans for a $150 million Bayswater Marina Village foundered. Following Jones’ death, lawyer/businessman Simon Herbert bought the marina and

after a series of negotiations with the Crown obtained a crown lease in 2004 – a step towards buying the 3.34ha of land freehold. Bayswater Marina Ltd applied to buy the land in 2011, with the deal going through in 2013. The fact that the land had gone into private hands for $3.7 million created a public furore. The sale process had been conducted in secret. One valuation put the price at $9 million if it was dry land. It had a statutory valuation of $5.6 million in July

2011. The price was discounted due to it being reclaimed land, having a restrictive zoning, the need for a coastal strip and the $17 million spent reclaiming the land. A Bayswater Marina precinct was created in the Auckland Unitary Plan, with Herbert advocating strongly for a residential component at hearings in 2016. Herbert has also maintained the site is best suited to residential development, with commercial businesses restricted to a restaurant and cafes.

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 18

October 22, 2021

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 19

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 20

October 22, 2021

Sports clubs weigh options after lease bid stymied

Devonport’s cricket and rugby clubs are weighing their next move after missing out on taking over all of the old bowling club site to develop a combined sports hub on the domain. “We’re still making up our mind about what to do,” North Shore Cricket Club chair Hayden Smith told the Flagstaff. “We feel the process here was appalling,” he said. Smith was referring to a decision at the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board meeting last month to lock in a lease on a shed on the site that Devonport Museum uses for storage under a temporary arrangement. Auckland Council officials, including its legal team, advised against this, saying storage was not a suitable use of reserve land intended for recreation. An extended lease will require the creation of a separate title for the shed area, paving the way for a formal 10-year arrangement with rights of renewal that could grant the museum free storage for 30 years. Board chair Ruth Jackson spoke of the deal as a “win-win” for the community groups and used her casting vote to push it through after members were deadlocked. Half the board said it was the wrong use of reserve land. The museum said it had a contrary legal opinion. The sports clubs must now decide whether to take up their partial lease, rethink their plans, or consider if they can contest the board’s decision. “It’s compromising our future optionality,” Smith told the Flagstaff. “We’re in a bit of limbo

at the moment.” In a letter to cricket club members last week, Smith said “goalposts were shifted at the last minute”. Members with concerns were urged to make their views known to board members, with Smith saying “they are answerable to the community that they serve”. North Shore Rugby Football Club is also planning to write to its members. Rugby committee member Bob Browne said both clubs were poised to invest considerable money in the project. “We would be pretty disappointed to not be able to get the value out of it that we wanted,” he said. “We’re happy to have the lease, but we need to consider the impediments.” Some members had been asking questions about what was happening after reading about the board meeting in the Flagstaff (8 October). Members Toni van Tonder, Aidan Bennett and George Wood wanted the sports clubs given the full lease, with Jackson, Trish Deans and Jan O’Connor against. Van Tonder said one solution might be to assist the museum in finding alternative storage. “We want the museum to find something too,” Smith told the Flagstaff last week. The museum could have stayed on in its shed (known as Building B) for several years until the clubs needed it, he said. But the separate title would limit their future options. The first stage of the clubs’ project – to

Devonport 09 445 2010 Major sponsor for the North Shore Cricket Club

convert the old bowling clubrooms into women’s changing facilities – was ready to go. Later development would come when funds were raised, designs drawn up and planning approvals worked through. The clubs wanted to retain flexibility over the whole site, said Smith. Their intention was in time to demolish the shed and other outbuildings at the rear of the site. This would allow for improved access, better connected green spaces and the ability to make the best use of the land for all-weather practice and training. Both sports clubs say their issue is not directly with the museum, but with how the decision-making unfolded. The museum, in turn, says it supports the clubs in making good use of the empty bowling clubrooms and greens. When the council called for expressions of interest last year, it was for the whole site. Only the sports clubs had wanted to take that up. The museum, the only other applicant, wanted just Building B. Opposing board members noted other groups may have been interested in vying for the storage shed, if the opportunity had been advertised this way. Smith said the clubs’ detailed application was made in good faith and after a lot of work. “What people need to think about is that essentially the Local Board is trying to carve off a section [of the domain] under the Reserves Act to satisfy one group,” he said. “We shouldn’t get too focused on the shed, it’s the process and how local board members have acted.”

October 22, 2021

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 21

Devonport 09 445 2010